Reagent feeder



NOV. 24, 1931. J P RUTH, JR 1,833,537

REAGENT FEEDER Filed Jan. 18, 1930 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l /f i 4 I f3 if 33 .53

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ahhozneaj NOV. 24, 1931. J Pl RUTH, JR I REAGENT FEEDER Filed Jan. 18, 1930 2 Sheets-Shee 2 /M @7% f Kw2, j?.

akamu* Patented Nov. 24, 1931 PATENT OFFCE JOSEPH P. RUTH, JR., OF DENVER, COLORADO REAGENT FEEDER Application filed January 18, 1930. Serial No. 421,859.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in reagent feeders of the type employed in connection with the treatment of ores.

In the separation of metal values from ores by means of flotation methods and in other places, it is necessary to miX reagents with the pulp and in order to get the best results tiie amount of reagent must be accurately proportioned. f

It is the object of this invention to producea reagent feeder of the type employed for feeding a liquid reagent as distinguished from a dry reagent feeder, and which shall be provided with means that permits a wide and accurate micrometer controlled adjust ment whereby the amount of reagent can be determined with great nicety.

Another object of this invention is to produce a reagent feeder of such design and con* struction thatthe feeder parts are accessible to inspection and in which the buckets can be readily changed and adjusted so as to get the results desired.

Another object of this invention is to produce an improved type of bucket for use with reagent feeders of this type and which shall be so designed that there will be no leakage and which, therefore, make itv possible to maintain an accurate adjustment at all times.

A still further object of this invention is to produce a liquid reagent feeder which shall be provided with drip hoppers so constructed and arranged that they will catch the liquid g that is discharged from the buckets and to deliver it -to the conduit that conveys it to the conditioning tank, the drip hoppers are so "designed and constructed that they give thorough protection to the shaft and bearings'from the reagent employed.

` A still further object of this invention is to produce a device of this type having a large storage capacity for reagent and a rugged construction and which shall be so designed tric motor.

rEhe above and otherobjects that may become apparent the description proceeds are attained by means of a construction and an arrangement of parts that will now be described in detail, reference for this purpose r that it can be operated by means of an elecbeing had to the accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiment has been illustrated, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved reagent feeder, parts being shown in section and other parts being broken away to better disclose the construction;

Fig. 2 is a section takeny on line 2 2, Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view looking in the direction of i arrow 3 in Fig. 1, and shows the belt tightening means to a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4 4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view looking in the direction of arrow 5 in Fig. 1 and shows the micrometer adjustment, parts being broken away to better disclose the construction;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6 6, Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 4; and

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8 8, Fig. 7.

This machine consists of two cast iron end supports which have been designated by ref* erence numerals 10 and 11. These supports are provided with flanges 12 along their edges and have transversely extending flanges 13 to which the steel channel connector and tank support 14 is secured by means of bolts or rivets 15. The sides of the end supports are each provided with two openings 16 and 17 that are primarily intended to reduce the amount of material used. The upper end of each support is provided with a heavy bearing 18 in which the drive shaft 19 is rotatably mounted. The end support 11 differs from the end support 10 in this, that support 11 is provided with an inwardly extending split hub. The sides of this hub have outwardly extending lugs 20 that are connected by means of bolts 21. A cylindrical plug 22 is located within the opening in this hub and is itself provided with an opening Q3 that is eccentric with respect to the center of the plug. When the bolts 21 are tightened, the plug 22 is held against rotary movement, but when the bolts 21 are loosened, it may be rotated in a manner quite apparent. Located in the opening 23 is a shaft 24 that is held in is a section taken on line 7 7, Fig.

place by means of a clamp 25. This shaft extends outwardly beyond the outer end of plug 22 and serves as a journal for two pair vof vgrooved pulleys. The plug 22 has an oute connected. A belt 36 connects the pulley 35 with the pulley 31a which is formed integral with the smaller pulley 32a. A belt 37 connects the pulley 32a with the pulley 38 and the latter is secured to the shaft 19 by means of a setvscrew 39. WVhen the motor operates, it will drive the shaft 19 at a greatly reduced speed. The speed can be still further reduced, if desired, by continuing the arrangement shown and described. For the purpose of .adjusting the tension of the belts, the shaft 24 has been eccentrically mounted in the plug 22 in the manner shown and described. When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2,v the distance between the centers of shafts 24 and 19 is the minimum, and by rotating plug 22 in either direction, the belts will be tightened. After the belts have been tightened solas to get'the tension desired, the plug can be clamped against rotation by the action of the bolts '21, as already described. j The liquid reagent is contained in a tank 40 that is supported on the upper surface of channel 14.' In the drawings only a single tank has been shown but as many tanks as are desired may be provided as this merely involves a duplication of parts. Mounted on. the shaft 19 directly above each tank are two drip hoppers. These hoppers are of the same construction with the exception that one isa right-and the other a left.v Each of the drip hoppers has a central bearing 41through which theushaft 19 extends.. Each hopper is also formed withv an upwardly and inwardly inclined wall 42 thatterminatesnin a vertical wall 43 whose edge is concentric with the shaft, as Yshown in Fig..4. rEach hopperA is also provided with an outer wall 44. The walls 42 and 44 are conneoted'at their lower edges by a bottom 45. which is inclined in the manner shown in Fig.l 4. lEach hopper is also provided with end walls 46. Located between Vthe bearings v41'and nonrotatably connected withy the shaft 19 is a sprocket wheel 47. Thiswheelis. of such size that its rim 43 isof somewhat largerdiameter than the walls 43 and the latter therefore extend underneath this rim in the manner shown in Fig. 1. Each drip hopper is provided at its lower end with a tubular extension 49 that has its outer end threaded as indicated at 50 and which may be connected with a pipe that extends to the conditioning` tank. Each of the walls 44 is provided on its outer surface with a lug 51, like that shown in Figs. 5 and 6. These lugs have square holes 52 for the reception of the lower ends 53 of the trippers. Each lug 51 is also provided with a set screw 54 that serves to clamp the tripper in place. The straight portions of the trippers which extend through the openings in lugs 51 are square and are also provided with threads for the reception of the adjusting or micrometer nuts55. These nuts are pro-vided with graduations, not shown, and by means of them the trippers can be adjusted with great nicety after which they are clamped in adjusted position by means: of the set screws 54. The

upper ends of the trippers are bent inwardly and terminate in end portions 56 that extend substantially at right angles to the vertical portions 53. A sprocket chain 57 encircles the sprocket wheel 47 and a sprocket wheel 47 a is supported by the sprocket chain 57 near the bottom of the tank as shown in Fig'. 1. `When the shaft 19 is rotated sprocket wheel 47 will also be rotated and this will rotate the sprocket chain 57 in a manner quite apparent from the drawings. Secured to the sprocket chain at spaced intervals by means of suitable clamping devices 58 are attaching rods 59, to the ends of which buckets 60 are attached. Each Vof the attaching rods are provided with a collar or spring clip 61 that vserves as a stop to prevent the buckets 60 from moving inwardly and has corresponding stops fcr keeping the buckets from' moving outwardly. The buckets are made from cast iron and are preferably of rectangular cross section. Each bucket is provided with a post 62 that connects the two opposite sides and this post is drilled so as to provide an opening for the reception of the attaching rod 59. The post is located below the top of the bucket'and owing to the fact that the opening for the attaching rod goes through the postth'ere is no leakage at this point as would be the case if the post 62 were not used. I consider this feature of great importance as with buckets having an attaching rod going through openings in opposite side walls, there is always considerableleakage, with the result that the amount of liquid delivered by each bucket varies with the amount of leakage that takes place. One side of each bucket is provided with a rib 63 and the upper en d of the wall opposite from the rib is curved as indicated by numeral 64. Y When the machine isinoperatiomshaft 19 is rotated in suoli a way that the right hand side of the sprocket chain moves upwardly when viewed as in Fig. 4 and the buckets are so attached that the ribs 63,' arson the leading side as they pass over the top of the sprocket wheel 47 and therefore they come in contact with the parts 56 of the trippers and as the parts continue to move the buckets are tilted into the dotted lineposition shown in Fig. 4 whereupon the liquid contents will be poured into the drip hoppers that are located directly beneath. It is evident that bv raising or lowering the trippers the extent to which the buckets are tilted can be controlled and by this means the amount of liquid that is poured out of each bucket can be very accurately adjusted and in this way the proportion of reagent can always be maintained.

The capacity of these feeders can be varied by adding or removing buckets and in this manner a coarse adjustment can be effected, after which the finer adjustment is made by moving the trippers upwardly or downwardly. It is possible to have the tripper on one side higher than that on the other, and therefore, a more sensitive adjustment can be effected than if both of the buckets had to be adjusted to the same extent.

Having described the invention what I claim as new is:

l. In a liquid reagent feeder having a pair of spaced end supports, a channel connecting the lower ends of the supports, a tank supported on the channel, a shaft rotatably secured to the upper ends of the end supports, a sprocket wheel secured to the shaft, a drip pan secured to the shaft adjacent the sprocket wheel, a sprocket chain operatively associated with the sprocket wheel, and a plurality of buckets connected with the sprocket chain, each of said buckets having a post formed integral therewith and extending transversely thereof at a point below the liquid level, said posts having longitudinally extending openings for the reception of a pivot pin.

2. In a liquid reagent feeder having a rotatable shaft, a sprocket wheel secured to the shaft, a sprocket chain associated with the sprocketwheel and a tank located underneath the sprocket wheel, a plurality of attachment rods secured to the sprocket chain and extending transversely thereof, and buckets pivotally secured to the rods, the buckets having integral posts located within the buckets between the bottom and the top extending transversely from one side to the other, said posts being provided with axial openings for the reception of the attachment rods whereby leakage is prevented.

3. An article of manufacture comprising a bucket formed from the cast metal, said bucket being elongated and provided with a bottom at one end, the othed end being open, a post extending transversely of the bucket at a point between the open end and the center of mass, said post having an axial opening for the reception of an attachment rod.

4. An article of manufacture comprising a bucket formed from cast metal, said bucket being elongated and provided with a bottoni at one end, the other end being open, a post extending transversely of the bucket at a point between the open end and the center of mass,

said post having an axial opening for the re- 

